The Bellatrix upgrade to The Merge is scheduled for September 6. Paris will follow a few days later. Before the Bellatrix upgrade can be activated, node operators will need to download client updates.
Ethereum developers have confirmed that September 6th is the date for Ethereum’s long-awaited transition from proof work to proof stake.
“After years of hard work, Ethereum has finally received its proof-of-stake update!” The Ethereum Foundation posted a blog Wednesday. All public testnets have been upgraded successfully, and The Merge is scheduled for the Ethereum mainnet.
The Merge will split into two upgrades called Bellatrix or Paris. According to the blog post (see image below), Bellatrix will occur at 11:34 UTC on September 6, while Paris will take place sometime between September 10th and September 20.
Validators are required to prove stake. Proof-of-stake validators do not use a lot of computing power like proof-of work miners, but instead lock up large amounts of money to prove that they are trustworthy to the network. Ethereum’s developers have been working towards this goal for years. The Goerli testnet was successfully merged in the final testing phase on August 10.
You can also download the required upgrades for various Ethereum clients from the new blog post. This will be required by operators before the Bellatrix update takes place. “Update your clients!” tweeted Ethereum Foundation comms lead Joseph Schweitzer.
Although this date is now official, Ethereum’s developers previously suggested that the Bellatrix upgrade would take place on September 6, during a call held on August 11. They also suggested that the Paris upgrade should take place on September 15.
However, block times and fluctuations in hash rates could cause the date to change. Paris could be upgraded up to five days sooner or down to five days later than anticipated. If the hashrate drops significantly, developers could manually override it — just like they did with the Ropsten testnet.
